Aerial Platforms

What Aerial Platforms does

Aerial Platforms Ltd (APL) is a privately owned, family-run UK powered access equipment rental company founded in 1994, headquartered in Leigh, Greater Manchester. It hires Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) — including scissor lifts, boom lifts (cherry pickers), push-around vertical lifts, telehandlers, and a premium Superfleet division with working heights exceeding 48 metres — to UK registered limited companies on quote-based hire terms with 30-day nett payment. The fleet comprises over 800 machines with an average age of 2 years, supported by strategically positioned depots enabling national UK coverage and same-day delivery in certain scenarios, alongside compliance with LOLER inspections every 6 months and CPA Model Terms.

The business operates a sales-led and inside-sales go-to-market, requiring customers to open credit accounts and offering digital self-service through a Platform Selector Tool, BIM model downloads, and an extensive network of 80+ service-location SEO pages targeting local hire queries. Revenue streams include core equipment hire (short- and long-term), Superfleet premium hire, APL Protect and APL Protect+ equipment damage insurance priced at 10% and 20% of hire charges respectively, and related services such as scaffolding, PPE, harness, spares, machine sales and LOLER inspection services. Custom-built Scania delivery vehicles and a QR-coded LOLER safety verification system on every machine are cited operational differentiators.

Customers span twelve vertical segments led by Construction, with Facilities Management, Aerospace/Airports, Industrial, Fit Outs, Retail Signage, Food Processing, Automotive, Petrochemical, Media, Warehousing, and Mechanical & Electrical representing the diversified base. Marketing channels combine organic SEO across location pages, content and blog output, social presence on X, TikTok and YouTube, email invoicing, and customer testimonial referral. The company is self-funded with no disclosed institutional investors, parent entity, or M&A activity.

Name

Aerial Platforms

Legal name

Aerial Platforms Limited

Website

https://aerialplatforms.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aerial Platforms Ltd is a privately owned UK powered access equipment rental company, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Leigh, Greater Manchester. It hires over 800 MEWPs — including scissor lifts, boom lifts, telehandlers and Superfleet machines exceeding 48 metres — to UK limited companies across 12 verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Powered Access Equipment Rental

NAICS

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aerial Access & Lift Equipment MRO (Boom/Scissor Lifts, Telehandlers) (TLAKAHAD), Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)

Keywords

• Powered access hire
• MEWP rental
• Cherry picker hire
• Scissor lift hire
• Telehandler rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Leigh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Core revenue from short-term and long-term hire of powered access equipment including scissor lifts, boom lifts, push-around vertical lifts, and telehandlers. Hire charges are invoiced on completion with standard payment terms of 30 days nett.
2. Superfleet Hire: Premium high-capacity equipment hire (Super Booms and Super Scissors) with dedicated transport team and national coverage for large-scale projects requiring heights up to 48m.
3. APL Protect & APL Protect+ Insurance: Equipment protection insurance offered as an add-on to hire agreements. APL Protect covers accidental damage at 10% of hire charge; APL Protect+ covers accidental damage, theft, malicious damage and destruction at 20% of hire charge.
4. Related Products and Services: Additional revenue from scaffolding hire, machine spares, PPE sales, harness hire and sales, machine sales, machine servicing, and general plant/tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aerial Platforms Ltd rents out a fleet of 800+ powered access machines (MEWPs) — including scissor lifts, boom lifts/cherry pickers, push-around vertical lifts and telehandlers — to UK registered limited companies on short-term and long-term hire. The company operates a Superfleet division of high-capacity machines with working heights exceeding 48 metres, and complements hire with LOLER inspection services, equipment insurance (APL Protect/Protect+), machine spares, PPE, and machine sales/servicing.

Product overview

Aerial Platforms Ltd operates as a powered access equipment rental company offering a comprehensive fleet of over 800 MEWPs (Mobile Elevated Work Platforms) throughout the UK. The product portfolio centers on aerial work platforms organized into two main equipment categories: Scissor Lifts (Electric, Diesel, and Bi-Energy variants) and Boom Lifts including Cherry Pickers (Electric, Diesel, Hybrid, and Electric Mast configurations), complemented by Push Around Vertical Lifts for low-level access and Telehandlers for material handling. The company operates a Superfleet division featuring high-capacity Super Scissors and Super Booms capable of reaching working heights exceeding 48 meters. Related services include LOLER safety inspections, equipment delivery/collection, and APL Protect insurance programs. The fleet serves diverse industries including construction, facilities management, aerospace, warehousing, petrochemical, media, and retail signage across 80+ UK service locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Push Around Vertical Lifts (PAV) Hire Low-level access lifts reaching up to 4.5m working height, designed for indoor use in tight spaces such as warehouses and retail environments. Rented to UK limited companies on short- and long-term hire.
• Electric Mast Lift Hire Compact electric-powered mast lifts offering working heights from 5.65m to 8m for indoor applications with limited space constraints. Hired to UK businesses for low-reach indoor access tasks.
• Electric Mast Boom Lift Hire Electric-powered boom lifts combining mast technology with extendable booms for working heights of 7.62m to 21.70m, for indoor and emission-sensitive applications.
• Electric Scissor Lift Hire Battery-powered scissor lifts with working heights from 9.85m to 12.65m, designed for indoor use with zero emissions and quiet operation.
• Diesel Scissor Lift Hire Heavy-duty diesel-powered rough terrain scissor lifts with working heights from 11.00m to 16.00m for demanding outdoor construction and industrial applications.
• Bi-Energy Scissor Lift Hire Dual-power scissor lifts combining electric and diesel/hybrid systems for versatility across indoor and outdoor working environments.
• Electric Boom Lift (Cherry Picker) Hire Electric-powered articulating boom lifts (cherry pickers) offering working heights from 12.20m to 28.00m with zero emissions for indoor and environmentally sensitive areas.
• Diesel Boom Lift (Cherry Picker) Hire

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of industry experience providing powered access solutions across the UK
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunbelt Rentals UK: UK arm of Sunbelt Rentals (owned by Ashtead Group), a major equipment rental provider offering powered access among a broad portfolio. Comparable to APL on MEWP hire but with a much wider product range and larger national footprint.
• Brandon Hire Station: UK tool and equipment hire chain with a network of branches offering powered access equipment alongside general construction tools. Overlaps with APL on MEWP hire but is more diversified across tool categories.
• Speedy Hire: One of the UK's largest equipment rental companies offering a broad range of tools, plant, and access equipment to construction, infrastructure, and industrial customers. A broad incumbent with overlapping MEWP hire but diversified across many equipment categories.
• VP Plc: UK-listed equipment rental group operating branded divisions in powered access, groundcare, and other specialist rental sectors. Comparable to APL via its access platform hire division (e.g., UK Platforms) with similar customers and product range.
• HSS Hire: UK tool and equipment hire company with a powered access division serving trade and construction customers. Comparable to APL on access platform hire but with a broader tools-and-equipment portfolio and different customer mix.

Direct peers

• AFI (Access & Forklift Industries): One of the UK's largest MEWP and access equipment rental specialists, offering a comparable fleet of scissor lifts, boom lifts, and telehandlers to similar construction and industrial customers. AFI is the most direct UK peer to APL in the same powered access niche.
• Riwal: Pan-European MEWP and aerial work platform rental specialist with UK operations, offering scissor lifts, boom lifts, and telehandlers to construction and industrial customers. Comparable to APL in core product category and target customer base.
• Gap Group: Scottish-based UK equipment rental company with a strong powered access platform hire offering alongside plant and tools. Comparable to APL in core MEWP hire and serves similar construction and industrial customers across the UK.
• Nationwide Platforms: Major UK MEWP rental specialist with a national depot network providing powered access platforms to construction, facilities management, and industrial customers. Closely comparable to APL in product range, customer base, and business model.

Emerging players

• Niftylift: UK-based MEWP manufacturer that also operates rental operations, focused on mobile boom lifts and height access equipment. Comparable to APL on the powered access platform category, though predominantly a manufacturer with adjacent rental activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aerialplatform1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@aerialplatformsltd
• TikToktiktok.com/@aerialplatforms

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aerial Platforms